The U.S. Department of Labor is holding $6.8 million in unpaid wages owed to more than 5,000 Maryland workers, but the clock is ticking for individuals to claim the funds. Workers owed back wages can check their eligibility through the department’s Workers Owed Wages (WOW) database.
Labor Laws and Maryland’s Wage Theft Crisis
The department enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which governs minimum wage, overtime pay, record-keeping, and youth employment. Maryland has been highlighted as the worst state for wage theft in a recent study, with an average of $2,200 in back wages per employee.
Nick Fiorello, district director of the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in Baltimore, emphasized that investigations often target industries known for wage theft. These industries include construction, residential home care, restaurants, food service, and landscaping.
“Sometimes we’re just initiating investigations out of one of those priorities that has nothing to do with a complaint,” Fiorello explained, noting the department also responds to worker complaints and tips from third parties.
Scope of the Problem
The $6.8 million held by the Labor Department represents only a fraction of unpaid wages across Maryland. According to the Center for Popular Democracy, nearly 600,000 Marylanders lose wages due to labor violations each year, amounting to approximately $900 million annually.
Nationwide, workers lose $15 billion annually to wage theft stemming from minimum wage violations alone, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Limited Time to Claim Wages
Fiorello stressed the urgency for workers to claim their unpaid wages, as the department can legally hold unclaimed funds for a maximum of three years. After this period, the money is transferred to the U.S. Treasury, making it inaccessible to workers.
“We keep the money for up to three years, and unfortunately, we have to pass it along to Treasury after that,” Fiorello said. “The workers do have a short time period in order to claim the money, so that’s why we want to make sure folks understand that there’s this website that exists that they can check out and see if they are owed some money.”
How to Check for Unpaid Wages
Workers can visit the Department of Labor’s Workers Owed Wages (WOW) database to determine if they are owed unpaid wages. The system allows users to search by their employer’s name and their own name to identify potential claims.
The Labor Department hopes its outreach efforts will help more Maryland workers recover their wages before it’s too late. By targeting industries where wage theft is prevalent and raising awareness about tools like the WOW database, the department aims to address the pervasive issue of wage theft in the state.
For more information or to check for unpaid wages, visit the Workers Owed Wages database.
